American Urbanization started like a wildfire and it spread so rapidly that facilities and institutions in society could not keep up. From 1850 to 1900 America completely changed from its agricultural state into a new industry based society. The four paramount changes that occured during America’s urbanization period were new immigration, the build up of cities (skyscrapers and mass transit), living conditions, and boss rule and the rise of mass consumption. Even though the changes during urbanization did not come easily due to immense diversity, they still paved the way to modern day America. The American dream: a promise of freedom and opportunities for prosperity and success. This particular dream is what drew hundreds of thousands of …show more content…
Inspired by european city rebuilding projects, American cities started clearing away older neighborhoods and creating grand avenues with impressive buildings. The only problem with the growing population was finding housing for the new residents. In Document 6 Nash explains how urban geography changed with emerging central businesses, few people living downtown, middle class residential areas stretched out beyond working class neighborhoods, and the growth of the suburbs which led to better transportation. Many of the rich lived in palatial mansions in the heart of the city while the moderately well to do took advantage of less expensive land on the outer edges of the city thus leading to what was known as the growth of the suburbs. However the poor could not afford housing in the city or in the suburbs and this led to the growth of tenement housing. Tenements were supposed to be great improvements in housing for the poor however they soon became known as “miserable abodes” that were overcrowded and had little to no indoor plumbing or central heating. The growing population also led to transportation problems. The downtown streets were usually too narrow for the heavy traffic that moved through them and most were not paved producing either a lot of mud or a cloud of dust. These problems led to what would later become known as mass …show more content…
New immigrants, many of which could not speak english, needed help adjusting to America’s urban life: it’s laws, customs, and language. The political machine was the principle source of assistance in these adjustments. This urban machine was one of the most distinctive political institutions in America and it owed its existence to the power vacuum that the chaotic growth of cities had created. Due to this a group of “urban bosses” emerged and they would help immigrants and bribe their vote by bringing them food, finding them jobs, and helping them in minor legal situations. The power of immigrant voters who were less concerned with political morality than with obtaining the services that machines provided, the link between the political organizations and wealthy, and the structural weakness of city governments were all factors that made boss rule possible. Invisible government, which is where power resides with confidential individuals who use their power behind the scenes not with publicly elected representatives, was created in cities due to boss rule and immigrants would vote for them only for the things they were promised in return, not necessarily because they liked them, according to Document 5. Incomes in the industrial era were rising for almost everyone especially “white collar” workers. Mass market grew because of affordable prices and new
The writings and pictures in Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives offer a vivid portrayal of the poor living conditions of New York's tenement houses and illustrated the necessity for progressive reform in the late 1800s. A vicious cycle held many of the tenants in its grasps through a combination of the landlords' rent prices and a lack of sustainable incomes. To Riis, the landowners looked like “tyrants that sweeten the cup of bitterness with their treacherous poison” (166). In the destitute areas, crime grew rampant, and the poor packed themselves into the tenements. Disease and illness worked adverse to any improvement of living conditions.
People were moving from the country side and into the growing cities for employment, middle class was re defined and working conditions were anything but promising. Many factory workers had to work and sleep at their place of employment and they were paid a very small wage for their production. With a growing economy and a demand for manufactured goods it would take an all hands approach to be successful and continue the successful independence of the country. The demand for workers to fill the factories to produce the goods increased the urbanization of America.
The continuing population flow from cities to suburbs, and the internal migration from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt have had significant social and political effects on American life. Additionally, the advances in science following World War II have had a profound impact on American society. In this answer, we will examine these three phenomena and their effects. The post-World War II era saw a significant shift in population from cities to suburbs. This migration was driven by several factors, including the availability of cheap land, increased mobility due to the automobile, and a desire for a more suburban lifestyle.
As America entered the Gilded Age, its urban population grew, nativists resisted minorities, government corruption was rampant, and immigrant populations increased substantially (Shi and Tindall 626-644). Government corruption was exemplified by the patronage system, under which loyal supporters of politicians were given government jobs (Shi and Tindall 641). Most of the immigrants from this period were from southern and eastern European countries, such as Russia, Poland, Greece, and Italy, and were judged as inferior by many Americans because of their cultural differences (Shi and Tindall 630). Immigrants also caused tension during WWI because of their lingering loyalties to nations on either side of the conflict (Chapter 21 Overview).
Between 1865 and 1900, Industrialization changed the way America continued about advancing. It brought about industries such as the railroads, steel and oil that generated jobs and opportunities, as well as economic wealth. Although these times were great for some - mainly the millionaires gaining fortune from their businesses and poor immigrants who found better lives in America than there were in their home countries - others, like the farmers and industrial workers, found a hard time making a living in the new, fast paced America. Farmers and industrial workers responded to the cruelness of industrialization by politically, financially, and socially.
Jackson most strongly argues that the trolley “had a greater impact on the American city between the Civil War and World War I” than any other invention. Stemming outward from the crowded business districts, trolley tracks opened up a vast suburban ring. Trolleys connected “an area triple the territory of the older walking city.” Along with the trolley, Jackson points to affordable housing as another reason for urbanization in American cities. With a quick trolley ride to urban housing areas, cheaper land than in cities, and the balloon-frame home construction method, American suburbs offered city dwellers a “safe and sanitary environment” in which was preferable over city life.
One of the biggest incidences in the US was immigration. There was an immense growth within the urban population due to the rise of cities quickly becoming flooded with immigrants and workers from every corner of the country. However, living in a city did not meet high expectations. In the other hand, it was place with such poor qualities. The cities were overcrowded, lacked proper sanitation as well as housing.
There was by pattern of urban flight (the process in which Americans left the cities and move to the suburbs) and at mid-century; the population of cities exceeded that of suburbs in 2000s. causes of herbal change could 've included the movement of jobseeking Americans into urban area, overcrowding, increased crime rates, and decaying housing as well as space, privacy and security. In the mid-1990s, the value of property in the U.S. inner cities declined and gentrification (purchasing and rehabilitating deteriorating urban property) often displaced lower-income people. In 2008, Americans were older than ever before due to the aging of the baby boom generation and increased longevity. There was also a change in the immigrant population;
As for gentrification moving a minority of people from their homes and replacing them with unreasonably priced condos and such and making new and wealthy people move in making it nearly impossible for the original residents to live there. They both have to do with a disbandment of people, and others moving in to do something “better” with what was left. When really these things were way better and well kept before they were ever interfered
Since transportation was easier and faster, people could live in the suburbs on the edge of towns. For example, queens outside New York doubled in size in the 1920s. By the end of the 1920s, more than 26 million cars were sold, and lots of new towns were created. Another advancement that is important is the development of trucks. In the beginning, trucks were old fashioned and had lots of flaws.
The American dream is a dream of land in which life should be better and richer for everyone. It’s a land where people succeed to accomplish their ambition of a better life. Most of the people have a different way of defining this American Dream. Unfortunately, for some, it could mean wealth,status,or power whereas for others it could mean companionship, good morals,love,and amity. According to our Declaration of Independence, it entitles every man and woman the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
During the time between the Civil War and the end of World War I industrialization was a big part in the economic, social, and political development of the United States. All three developed the way they did as an effect of industrialization. Economically more money was made from more manufactured goods. Socially living conditions became different. Politically more laws were passed to address problems.
Political campaigns and elections in the United States changed dramatically between 1815 and 1840 due to large social and political changes, such as universal white male suffrage which caused caused more voters in the middle and lower classes, and the growth of the common man ideal which resulted in politicians that were voted into office based on their background rather than their actual political views and knowledge. The political changes that granted universal white male suffrage caused an increase in eligible voters (doc 1). This increase in eligible voters (mainly the middle class) led to a demand for politicians who were more inclined to push for legislation that would benefit the “common man”, this included topics such as child labor
The American Dream is an opportunity in which a determined person can have exceptional success through dedication and hard work, achieving equality, freedom, and personal goals. As immigrants, my grandparents followed this beacon of hope, and had this one thing in mind: a better life. Coming from
No matter who you are or where you have come from, you have undoubtedly heard of the American Dream. The idea that no matter who you are or where you have come from, you can do whatever it is you desire in America. What was once one the main driving forces for immigrants to flock to the new world, has slowly changed over the years, but still holds its value in the eyes of those who are looking for a promising new place to live. The American dream might not hold the same awe inspiring sound that it once did, but for many generations before ours it was a beacon of hope that helped build the foundation that the United States was built on. And, still, today the American dream might not be as achievable as it once was, but it is still an important